Jonah Does Not Really Take a Detour!
Or
Which Way Is Up…
I'm
starting to sound like one of our old Presidents. He used
to say when people kept bringing up the same
old topic with a smile on his face, and with I don't
consider myself on par with President Ronald Reagan. He was known as the great
communicator. However, I do find myself saying, "Well, here I go
again."
Oh by
the way that was the President's reply
every time the reporters asked him if he died his hair. He was about 70 years old at the time and the
reporters could not figure out if the President died his hair. I can understand
their confusion. Every President hair turns gray during his term. President
Obama hair is turning gray and he is forty something! I was expecting his hair
to turn to gray also so I was not disappointed.
I have
not heard Jonah's experience explained quite this way before. What makes him
unique is that he does not want to do the job, he has attitude problems, he does
not want to cooperate, he try's to avoid the job, he argues with God, he is a
fuss pot, he is set upon doing things his way, and he is certainly against
saving his enemy's. That was God used him. That is what made him uniquely
qualified for this particular task! God needed person like that. He could say
God made me do it and every one would believe him.
Jonah
is a chosen vessel of God, commissioned to go to
Ninevah to preach the message of repentance unto salvation for God wanted to
save these people. However
Jonah had a personal problem with this idea. He did not want God to save these
people. These people were enemies of Israel and he wanted God to destroy them
not save them. He did not want these people to be his people. So when God
instructed him about the task he was to perform he thought he could shuck his
responsibility by getting out of town heading in the wrong direction.
One
thing we have to keep in mind is that no one is one of God's people except by
His grace. Paul finally understood this after his conversion to Christianity.
He said that not even all of Israel were God's people. It took an act of God
called election to save those who were.
Before
Jesus came, died and rose again, they were the ones who believed in the promise
of the soon coming Messiah. After Jesus came, ascended to sit at the right hand
of the Father, and sent the Holy Spirit they are the ones who believe He is the
son of God, God who came in the flesh and the soon returning Messiah.
It is
interesting how God works. What really took place here is exactly what God
planned from the beginning. For he had a few other things Jonah had to do
before he got to Ninevah. Keep in mind
that people will say things that do not reflect the reality of the situation.
You can sit there and complain about what God is doing or going to with you,
and it does not alter the circumstances one iota because God has a purpose to
fulfill.
It
seems like some people can adjust their attitude and
just go with the flow. Some go kicking and screaming. Some just fuss the whole
time. I guess whatever works for you. So OK, Jonah fusses but
Jonah was still going. Some think that Jonah took off in the wrong direction. I
beg to differ. God purpose for Jonah had a few other details to take care of
before Jonah would arrive in Ninevah.
So
Jonah, perhaps thinking he is getting away from God or perhaps not. Perhaps he
feels something about this trip that compels him to go this way. He heads down
to Joppa and ends up on a boat with a crew headed for Tarshish. Again, this is
not only where he is supposed to be, but the boat was to take him to the
transfer point of the other vehicle that would take him the rest of the way to
the final destination God had in mind for Jonah, Ninevah.
God
does not always send his people on a bee line to their destination. It took
them 40 years to get out of the wilderness. They had to cross the Jordan River
on dry land too which reminded them about the Red Sea and what happened to all
the dissenters. They thought twice, thrice about being rebellious that time,
"Well, here we go again!"
God has
reasons for Jonah being on that boat one, to let him know that God was with
him. Like Jesus on the
boat during a great storm Jonah is fast asleep
below with not a care in the world. He had the peace that passes understanding
down in his heart, of God,
was upon him. He had a beautiful rest in the arms of the LORD before it was
time to transfer to the other mode of transportation. They were almost at the
transfer point. That is why he had to go that route.
A
mighty storm signaled its soon arrival. Somehow Jonah new and he was ready to
go. The other boatmen were moved to go and wake Jonah. Everybody was praying to
their god. They wanted Jonah to pray to his. Jonah got up, went above deck, and
prayed. He told them to throw him over board and everything would be alright.
They actually did it and it everything was okay again. At the end I will my
Jonah testimony but everything was not alright where I came from. Did God have
a make a way of escape for Jonah he wasn't aware of and could not find out in
Nineveh? Were they planning his death. The KJV says they killed the prophets
all the day long. What a mighty God he serves. Jonah by faith was transferred
to the other mode of transportation which turned out to be a huge fish.
Can you
imagine the fear of Jonah's God that came upon the crew as they witnessed all
this? They knew he was
a Hebrew. Wherever they went stories of Jehovah had preceded them from their
time of deliverance from Pharaoh of Egypt after 430 years along with other
Africans and before then. Often times their enemy's were sore afraid of their
God yet still fought against Gods people and lost.
Some
people don't respect the control of mankind the
power of God has either because of their ignorance or incapability. Now that
the transfer was complete Jonah left behind witnesses of Gods power. They
witnessed Jonah being swallowed by a great fish. Jonah could now complete his
trip to Nineveh. The ground floor had been laid. All the pieces would come
together in the minds of the people over the years.
There
would be more talk about the God of the Hebrews. I can hear them saying, Oh
yea, I heard these boatmen saw Jonah swallowed by a great fish. Somebody else
said he ended up in Ninevah. Yakkity yack, Yada, Yada, and so on and so on.
This
fish had been predestined and prepared to receive Jonah at this particular time
and place, in these particular waters and to deliver him safely to Nineveh in
three and night days specifically. Jesus was to use this as an analogy to His
like manner of being three days in the earth after He hung Himself on the cross
at Calvary.
After
being in the belly of this great fish for three days
and nights what affect do you think that had on Jonah who had attitude problems
to begin with? What
affect do you think it had on the clothes he was wearing? What about his hair,
his body odor, his walk, his talk? No wonder they repented when they saw and
heard the likes of Him. Look what God did to His own
prophet! To this fuss pot!
The
silence is killing me that which is not written. It does
not say that Jonah suddenly had a change of heart. On the contrary God had to
deal with him under a tree where he was still fussing with God and resting. God
caused it to wither to illustrate to Jonah His point in saving Nineveh God was
still trying to get Jonah to get it, God's program. But he was the man for the
job anyway. Nineveh got it. And that was what God purposed to accomplish.
Jonah
was already in the kingdom. God wanted to bring some more in. Kingdom people
have issues like everyone else, but maybe a little different. We love God. And
like any father he deals with the issues. Being the heavenly Father He does it
right every time. Some
call that fellowship with God.
So
perhaps not only did Jonah do the work of the LORD he
got his needs met as well. Imagine the testimony
he alone had. The experience unlike anything else he could have even imagined.
The memories (if he recovered) he could recall and relive. Jonah, with a bad
attitude was used mightily of God. And I don't know if his attitude ever
changed.
It did
not matter then. Besides as a child of God you can
have a bad attitude, cry, fuss, etc. and still
feel the presence of the LORD and be joyful in your heart. Your outward
appearance at the time may be necessary to get the job done. I decided not give
my testimony after edit this writing. God said enough to me.
